Motor vehicle



7. 2 9 l uw 2 hc A u M J. S. BOOTH MOTOR VEHICLE Original Filed June 29, 922 2 SheetsvSheet l Match 29, 1927. l

J. S. BOOTH MOTOR VEHICLE Original Filed June 29', 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w .R W

aucune/lf@ Reima; Mn. 29, 1921,

` 'UNITED 'l STATES Pain-1NrorFlCE.

parloir; marmein.

loro; vnmcmi.

origini in; 1mm, ama my 21,1925, semi ai.

led Ille 88, 1826.

Inmotor Ivehicle ,construction it de.- sirable" that theload be carried as .low as posslbleto prevent side sway of the `vehicle,

``and Ato provide easy access to the body. It

is'also desirable that the 'seating arrange ment of a Vfour or tive p'aengerdouble seat body be such as tf1/carry the passenger load mainly between the front and rear axles .to give easy riding qualitiesl and such as'to provide ampleleg room and-helght of-seats lWithout thenecessity for lengt enmg the wheel, base unduly" or increasing-the seating i' height above the normal. A further desideratum in light passenger automoblies 1s to effect a low rangy appearance with a comparatively short wheel base whereby low -cost of manufacture is maintained and a construction is secured havin the quality of holding the road, which qua ity 1s lnherent ,inf largerA cars of more expensivedeslgn.

-The object of the present invention 1s to provide a construction and arrangement whereby all of the above enumerated desirl' permitted to give a low construction.

.'tical section of the'chassis -and aV A able features are secured in a light passenger @i useful features, all as hereinafter more automobile, together with other-new and fullyset forth, the invention consisting 1n an arrangement of the power plant and wer transmitting mechanism, whereby the overall'length ofthe power plant 1s shortened to gain bodyroom between the axles, the means for transmitting power to the rear axle is lowered relative to the power plant and is'brought within the lan'eof the side members of the frame,'an a drop 1n said frame members between the axles is The invention ,further consists in other matters and in the construction and arrangement-of parts, all as hereinafter more fu 1y described and particularly" out 1n the' appended claims, reference 'bein had to the accompanyingdrawings, Ain w ic Figure 1 is a plan-view of an automobile chassis embodying. features of the invert-1 Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse verbody thereon, substantiallyupon the line 2 2 of Figure-3;:ind- A 'f 3 is a side elevatlon of the chassis,

1131s, mea :une 2a, 1922. Appunti :er nime seran n. 119,263.

showing a noutline of the 'bodyfin dotted 4 lines.

Passenger automobiles as commonly constructed have a power plant which is located adjacent the forwardendof the chassis .-frame and just rearwardly of the front axle.

Motion is transmitted to the rear. axle through the clutch and change-speed'gearing which are usually positioned adjacent therear/ end of the power plant or engine, and

through a propeller shaft extending, from the rear end of the transmission casing ,to the rear axle. tutes the substantial alignment of the propellet shaft, transmission mechanism, clutch, and engine crank shaft so that the front end ofthe propeller shaft' is -supported within This arrangement necessithe horizontaljplane -of the engine crank shaft, thereby positioning the propellershaft at a considerable elevation above the ground,

also necessitating the placing of the floor of e the\body at a considerable heightV from the ground. Further, the locating of the transmission mechanism within a casing which forms a"continualtion of the engine crank case, as is the usualA practice, and the locating of theclutch and flywheel between the transmission mechanism and the engine, ma-

terially increases the overall length of the power plant and takes up considerablql room which wduld otherwise be available as leg room within the body. Further, the arrangement commonly employed inthe construe:

tion of thev cheaper class of light passenger vehlcles, prohiblts the dropping o the side members of the chassis frame between the axles in order to secure a low down construction asin order to lower the floor of the body it 1s necessary'` to lower the'mechanisni for transmitting motion -fromthe -power plant to the rear axle, to' a plane below the A Y vplane of the licor.

`Inuthe construction illustrated -in the` aci companyin drawings, 1 indicates an engine of any'jsui ble --type,' which engine is supported in any-suitable manner between the side-members 2 of-fachassis frame adjacent the forwardgcross 'member 3 ofthe frame and adjacent vthe front axle (not shown), said engine ybeing provided with af'ilywhcel 4 arranged-in the usual manner adjacent the rear end of the engine crank case. Rearwardly of the cross member 3, the side members 2 of the chassis frame are bent downwardly as at 5 to bring the intermediate portion 6 of these members to a relatively low level between the front axle 3 and the rear axle 7, said frame members being formed just forwardly of the rear axle with an abrupt upward bend providing a substantiallyL straight vertical portion 8 which is integral at its upper end with a tapering rear e`nd portion 9 extending horizontally of and in rearward direction over the rear axle and at a suicient distance above the same to provide for relative movement of the axle and frame due to ilexure of the spring suspenf` extension 11 forming a supporty for the exbrackets 15, as shown in Figure 2, secured to treme rear end of the body. An intermediate cross member 12 ties the side members 2 together intermediate the cross member 13 which forms asupport at the rear end of the engine and the cross member which is located just forwardly of the rear axle. The drop in the side members 2 provided b the intermediate portion 6 forms a supper for the body, the body sills 14 resting upon the outer sides of the frame members with the upper faces of the sills in they plane of the upper faces of the frame members. The drop or intermediate portions 6 of the chassis frame members are of extended vertical width in cross section to give added strength and rigidity to the chassis frame and in ordervthat the body floor 16 may not interfere with the mechanism for transmitting motion from the power plant tothe rear axle, such mechanism is supported be'- tween thedrop portions 6 of the frame members within the horizontal plane of said portions.

To transmit motion from the rear end of the engine crank shaft 17, shown in Figure 2, and upon which rear end portion the flywheel 4 is secured, to a point distant and below the horizontal plane of said crank shaft, a sprocket wheel 18 is secured upon the end of the crank shaft adjacent the rear slde of the flywheel to be engaged by a suitable chain 19 which passes over a similar sprocket 20 secured upon a shaft y21 which is mounted in suitable .bearings within a casing 22 enclosing 'said chain and sprockets and extending downwardly and Vlaterally from ythe crank shaft toward one side of the chassis frame and Within said frame, said shaft 21 being positioned approximately within the central horizontal plane of the intermediate portions 6 of the frame -members 2. Motion is therefore transmitted directly from the rear end of the engine crank shaft laterally and downwardlyI to a plane below the plane of the floor 16, of the body so that change-speed gearing (not shown) which'is enclosed within a casing 23, the intermediate power shaft 24 for transmitting motion from the rear end of the shaft 21, suitable clutch `mechanism (not shown) which is enclosed within av forward extension 25 of the casing :23, and the ropeller shaft 26,may all be located witlhin a horizontal plane of the intermediate portions 6 (of the frame members 2. To provide for inaccuracies in alignment of the shaft '21 with the main shaft 27 of the transmission mechanism upon which the clutch mechanism (not shown) issecured within the casing 25, universal 4`joint connections 28 are provided between the shaft 21- and the Vforward end of the shaft 24 and also between the rear end of .the shaft 24 and the forward end of the shaft 27. By locatingthe clutch Aand transmission mechanism at a distance from the rear end of the engine crank shaft and below the horizontal plane of said shaft and within the plane of the chassis frame below the plane of 'the floor of the body, a very material gain in room" within the body 1s -secured'as the toe board indicated at 29 in Figure 3 may be located very close to the rear. end of the engine, thus roviding ample' le room within` the body orwardly 1 of the ront seat, which seat is indicated in dotted lines at 30 in Figure 3. This arrangement also ermits of setting the seat 30 well forwardp within the body so that amile leg room will be provided between it an the rear seat 31, also indicated in dotted lines in VFigure 3, and this .rear seat'may lbe blocated over and partly forwardly of the-verticalrtions 8 of the chassis frame members. oth front land rear seats are therefore located between the vertical planes ,of the frontv and rear axles and the passenger load will therefore bc carried between the axles, providing the ideal' arrangement in a tivo-seated -light vehicleof comparatively short wheel base, to give easy riding qualities.' As the lower edges of the intermediate' portions -6 of the chassis frame members extend in a horizontal lane ybelow the horithe lower side of the differential geaiing 32 of the rear axle, to permit of free relative movement between the body and propeller shaft upon flexiire of the body supporting s 'rings (not shown). The usual brake pe al 33 and clutch pedal 34 are provided, the same being mounted in any convenient manner and provided with the usual connections (not shown) for operating the brakes (not shown)and the clutch mechanism which is located adjacent the forward end of the change-speed mechanism, said clutch mechanism being rovided with an operating arm 35. locate outside the casing 25 and the usual shift lever which is indicated in dotted lines at 36 is provided for operating the change-speed gears.

In the described arrangement, the forming of the chassis frame with a relatively deep drop intermediate the front and rear axles, the reinforcing of this chassis frame by a cross member between the upper ends of the vertical portions of the chassis frame side members adjacent to and in advance of the rear axle, and the arranging of the propeller-shaft below` the cross member and connecting of this propeller shaft with the lower side of the rear axle permits a greater drop in the chassis frame than -in the coinmon automobile construction and secures a lowering of the bod which will permit of the dispensing wit the use of running boards or steps as the passengers may step directly into the body from the ground. At the saine `time leg room and height of seats equal to or greater than that provided in other cars *of'equal or longer wheel base is secured.

Obviously any suitable means may be provided for transmitting motion from either endv of the engine crank shaft downwardly to a lower leveland the arrangement of the clutch and transmission mechanisms may be varied fromA that shown without departing from the spirit of the invention. I do not, therefore, limit myselfto the particular construction or arrangement disclosed except as particularly set forth in the appended claims.

Havi thus fully described my invention,

- what I c aim is:

1. In a motor vehicle of the passenger-carrying type and wherein the power is of internal combustion engine source with the engine crank shaft vextending longitudinally of the vehicle, a chassis frame having a portion for., the support of an engine and a port-ion for the support of a passenger-carrying body located. in a horizontal plane below the horizontal plane of the engine supporting portion and providing a sugport lfor power transmitting instrumenta ities for transmitting wer from the enginetoadriven rear a. di'erential mech- .anism, said instrumentalities including a shaft extending longitudinally beneath the body below the horizontal plane of the bottom thereof'and said engine crank shaft being positioned with its axis in a horizontal plane above/the horizontal plane of the bottom of the lbody and means extending from the crank shaft adjacent the rear end of the engine for connecting said crank shaft and said shaft of said instrumentalities to transmit power from the rear end of the crank shaft forwardly of the body and downwardly to said instrumentalities located beneath the body.

2. In a motor vehicle of the passengercarrying type, and wherein the motor is of internal combustion engine type located adjacent the forward end of the vehicle and having a power shaft extending longitudinally of the vehicle, and wherein the passenger-carrying body is positioned rearwardly of the engine with its bottom in a plane below the plane of said power shaft, a series of power transmitting instrumentalities extending longitudinally of the vehicle below the horizontal plane of the bottom of the body for transmitting power to the rear axle differential mechanism, said power shaft being positioned above'said horizontal bottom plane of the body, and means adjacent the engine and forwardly of the forward end of the body forming an operative connection between said power shaft and thepower transmitting instrumentality at the forward end of said series.

3. `In a motor vehicle of the passenger-can 100 rying type and wherein the motor is of the internal combustion engine t` pe located adjacent the forward end of t e vehicle with the engine crank shaft extending'longitudi- Y nally of the vehicle and wherein the passen- 106 ger-carrying body vis located rearwardly m the engine, and wherein power is-transmitted to the rear axle di'ei'ential mechanism by instrumentalities includimr a clutch,

c ange-speed mechanism an propeller liu shaft; a cha'sss frame having a part for the support of kthe engine and a part for the support of a body and located in ahorizontal plane lower than the horizontal plane of said engine supporting part, the engine crank 115 shaft axis being in a horizontal plane above, the horizontal plane of the bottom of the body, the several power instrumentalities being supported by andwithin the horizontal plane of said body supporting art of -said 12o frame below the body and lateral y of the longitudinal central vert-ical plane of the frame, and means located forwardly of the body for Vtransmitting motion from the engine crank shaft downwardly and laterally to said in 125 v strumentalities. l

4. In a motor vehicle as characterized in claim 3 and wherein the means for transmitting motion from the crank shaft to the power transmitting instrumentalities coin- 130 prises a sprocket wheel on the crank shaft, a shaft arranged in substantial longitudinal axial alignment with said instrumentalities and in the horizontal plane of the body carrying ortion of the frame, a sprocket wheel on said) shaft, and a sprocket chain engaging said sprocket wheels.

5. In an automobile, the combination of a rear driving axle and axle housing, a chassis frame provided with a rear portion over said axle housing -togive the usual necessary clearance and having a relatively deep drop just'forwa'rd of said axle housing to provide a drop portion of the chassis frame with its.

lower side below the center of said rear axle when the same is 1n its normal position, a

reinforcing crossbar for said chassis frame` lforward and above the center of said rear axle, a -rnotor supported upon the frontportion of said chassis frame and largely thereabove, a propeller shaft supported below said reinforcing cross Abar and connecting said motor with said rear axle and having a driving connection with said rear axle the axis of which connection is below the main hori zontal center line of the axle, thereby perdrop portions located at substantially the level of said axle 'housing with the lower edges below the center of said rear axle, vertically extending portions connecting said rearportions and drop portions and a reinforcing cross member extending between the upper ends of saidvertically extending portions, an engine supported on the front of `said chassis frame and largely thererabove, a propeller shaft under said cross member and connecting said engine with said rear axle and underslung and having a driving connection with said rear axle on the under side thereof, thereby making possible the lowering ot said chassis frame.

7. In a motor vehicle, the combination of a rear driving axle and axle housing, a chassis frame provided with a rear portion over said axle housingto give the usual necessary clearance and having a relatively deep drop forward of said axle housing to provide a drop portion of the chassis frame with its lowerside below the center of said rear axle when the same is in its normal position, a reinforcing cross bar for said chassis frame, a motor supported upon the front portion of said chassis frame and largely thereabove, and a propeller shaft connecting said motor with said rear axle and having a driving connection with said rear axle on the under: side thereof thereby permitting the lowering of said chassis frame, said propeller shaft extending below said reinforcin across bar and spaced therefrom to provi e the necessary clearance.`

, 8. In a motor vehicle, the combination of a rear driving axle and axle housing, a chassis frame provided with a rear portion over said axle housing to give the usual necessary clearance and havin a relatively deep drop forward of said axila housin to provide a drop portion of the 'chassis graine for supporting the floor. with its lower side below the center of said rear axle when the same is in its normal position, a. reinforcing cross bar for said chassis frame, a motor supported upon the front portion4 of said .chassis frame and largely thereahove, and a propeller shaft connecting said motor with said Y I rear axle and having a driving connection with said rear axle the axis of which connection is below the main center line of the axle thereby permitting the lowering of said chassis frame, said propeller shaft extending below said vreinforcing cross bar, upper edge of drop portion'of frame and floor supported thereupon and spaced therefrom to provide the necessary clearance.

.9. In an automobile, the combination of a pair of front wheelsand front axle, a pair of rear driving wheels and driving axle and axle housing, a chassis provided with one or more cross bais and a frame kicked up at the rear over the rear axle housing to give the usual necessary clearance and having a relatively deep drop just forward of .the rear axle housing so that theJ dropped portion` of the chassis frame has its lower side below the center of the rear axle when the same is in its normal position, a motor supported immediately behind the front axle on the chassis frame and largely above the chassis lou frame, a propeller shaft supported below said cross bai', or bars,and connecting the said motor with the rear 'axle housing, and under-slung where it connects with the rear axle housing thereby Apermitting the lowering of thechassis frame, said propeller shaft having a driving connection with the rear axle on the under side thereof.

10. In an automobile, the combination of a pair of front wheels and a front axle', a pair of rear driving wheels, a rear, axle housing provided with a worin gear and driving shafts, a chassis frame provided with one or more cross bars and kicked up over the rear vaxle to give the usual necessary clearance due to the axlel movements and spring lie-xure, the said chassis frame having a relatively deep drop immediately in front of the axle and the said drop portionof the chassis frame located at the 'level of the rear axle with the lower portions of the chassis frame -belowthe center of the rear axle, an engine supported on the front of the chassis frame immediately at the i'earvrof thefront axle and y tho chasis prov ler vrelation with the said worm gear oli the slid cms-honor hars, ancixlonunder side thereof.

with the rear axle housing In testimony whereof I aix m signature I0 on the lltter, thereby makat Detroit, Wayne. County, Mic igan, lthis 5 ing possible lowg'ln o f the chassis `24th day of June,v 1926. Y

fnmo, smid being provided at its nur VYwith n worm hnving a driving JAMES S. BOOTH. 

